Modelling of intra- and interlaminar fracture in composite laminates loaded in tension

摘要

Fracture process of multidirectional fibre-reinforced composite laminates under tensile loading involves sequential accumulation of intra- and interlaminar damage in the form of matrix cracks and delaminations. In this paper, local delaminations growing from matrix crack tips in angle-ply laminates are analysed using fracture mechanics concepts. Closed form expression representing strain energy release rate associated with crack tip delaminations as a linear function of the first partial derivatives of the effective elastic properties of the damaged layer with respect to the delamination area is derived. Parameters controlling the value of the strain energy release rate are established.